Off Topic: Actually, way off topic: I want Sarah Lee Sellers to be the next West Virginia Idol

I seriously thought this was a joke when I got this in my email this morning. After checking the source, I realized that it was not.

Below is a video interview for Sarah Lee Sellers. Sarah is competing to receive a scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan University, which is by the way is the top Wesleyan university in West Virginia. What are the grounds for receiving this scholarship? Good grades? Need? Character? Because I can tell you Sarah would qualify for all three if that was the criteria.

But it does not come down to any of those in the final analysis. Sarah wins the scholarship with your votes! I am not joking. They are literally dangling the scholarship in front of her like a carrot, and putting her through a video interview so America can vote to see if she is deserving of it or not.

The interview starts off very normal, she tells about her background, subjects she likes, and the fact that some guy named Jesus is her savior (Yes I know who Jesus is so don't email me. He is my savior too, but I guess I can share him with Sarah). Then, toward the middle of the video they discuss why she wants the scholarship and she breaks down in emotion, telling about her financial troubles her family had when she was young, and is almost embarrassed when she says her mom cannot afford college. She continues tearing up for pretty much the rest of the interview. It is very gripping.

Does WV Wesleyan U stop the video to let her get herself together, so she could finish the interview composed? Of course not, that would have been the classy thing to do.

What also struck me was that fact at such a young age she knows what she wants to do in life. 10 years from now she wants to get into cryptology. Cryptology! I didn't even know what cryptology was in high school. In fact I still don't know what it is exactly. I assume it is the study of crypts or something.

The other thing I could not help but think about was how incredibly, incredibly lucky I was as a child. My parents were not rich, but they provided me with a very comfortable lifestyle. They sent me to Georgetown Prep, and college was never seen as an obstacle financially.

Here is someone who has worked so hard, and seems so morally grounded, and they make her go through this BS to get a scholarship at their university.

Frankly Sarah, the question is not whether you are deserving of a scholarship, it is whether West Virginia Wesleyan University is deserving of someone like you. You have too much character, dignity and class for that University, and they should feel blessed every day for the chance to have a student like you.

Lets send Sarah Lee Sellers to college people! You can vote for her here. Also remember to click the confirmation link in your email or your vote will not count. Be sure to watch her video below.